45 Perranporth to Portreath
A beautiful coast marked by military use and mining activity. Coves with sandy beaches for swimmers and dogs, and a welcoming brew-pub.
The route, day 45
12 miles/20 km on the Southwest Coast Path, 885 metres ascent.
The view back to the bay of Perranporth and Perran Sands in the distance.
A Military and Industrial Coast
A Coast that Touches the Heart
Views far along the coast where the waters seethe around submerged rocks, little islands and inaccessible headlands, views far out to sea where clouds cast shadows on the surface, and vertiginous drops right next to the coast path, requiring care as we walked on a blustery day, trying hard to keep to a straight line. At one spot inches from a vertical drop to the waves , a little memorial plaque has been placed in a heather-fringed hollow "In loving memory of Keith Hammett, 19/3/1938-31/3/2011"
Trevenaunce Cove
The coast path descends steeply to the cove, where houses are perched above the surf. Here the Driftwood Spars is a cosy pub and B&B with a fine range of its own beers, brewed across the road. It takes its name from the spars (mast beams) of ships that were wrecked on this coast and used in the 17th century to construct a building that began life as a store for the tin mine, later became a chandlery, fish cellar and sail-making workshop, and is now a pub where I would love to have stayed longer. The Driftwood Spar has occasional music gigs and proudly owns a simple flyer dating from the 1970s advertising a performance there by a then unknown band called Queen.
Dogs Love Cornwall
Walking the Southwest Coast Path at weekends, dogless hikers are definitely a minority in some places. No wonder the regional tourist offices see an opportunity for well-targeted marketing. Wandering through the dunes in my native Birkdale (see day 1 of Beating the Bounds), I see very few humans who are without dogs, to the extent that I start to imagine I must be breaking a local bye-law by being there with no pet, no leash dangling by my side and no upturned plastic bag over my hand.
Yes they do! - and unleashed happy hounds can even read their own magazine and decide which "woof-worthy walk" to choose.
Low in fat, sugar and lactose - but is it gluten-free? I was too slow to get a snapshot of a labrador rolling its tongue around a tub next to the sign.
Wheal Coates Tin Mine
The pumping engine house (1872) extracted water from a shaft that was 600 ft/180 m deep. Seen from the north, with grey skies ahead.
The mine opened in 1802 and operated with interruptions until 1914. Looking back with blue skies behind.
The cove at Chapel Porth with Wheal Coates on the skyline.
Porthtowan Beach
Driftwood Spars, Trevenaunce. John Sykes and Martin Lehrer were here, 11 September 2024. But not between 4pm and 7pm. We wouldn't have dared to take the table at that time.